What I Never Wanted
By John Herlihy

I never wanted to be a poet,
But that’s what I became.
I never wanted to be famous,
Only live a life that was sane.
I never wanted to be a doctor,
But specialized in home remedies.
I never ended up having children,
But grandchildren came a plenty.
I never had my own son,
But ended up adopting one.
I never thought I would grow old,
Firm pulse and pressure truth be told.
I never longed to get sick,
Just quietly burn down life’s wick.
I never thought I would die,
Old age has certainly solved that lie.
I never ended up committing a crime,
But did have a few weaknesses purely mine.
I never ended up giving up hope,
And succeeded by plugging my leaky boat.
I never rejected the unseen, the unknown,
Always fascinated by the idea of Twilight Zone.
I never wanted to be in the limelight,
I much preferred the shadow of midnight.

Sometimes we get what we never desired;
The unexpected pleasure leaves us inspired.